Israeli media mogul Haim Saban mulls stake in Al Jazeera
Haim Saban, estimated to be worth more than $3 billion, brought Power Rangers to the Arab world.
By Nimrod Halpern Tags: Israel newsIsraeli businessman Haim Saban is negotiating with Qatar's emir the purchase of 50 percent of the Al Jazeera television network, the independent Egyptian newspaper Al-Mesryoon reported earlier this week.
Saban, an Egyptian-born Jew, was first reported to be negotiating the purchase of half the Doha -based network in 2004, after visiting the emirate with former U.S. President Bill Clinton.
The media mogul, estimated to be worth more than $3 billion, brought the Power Rangers franchise to the Arab world and made a fortune out of developing and selling the Fox Family cable network together with News Corp. In Israel, Saban owns a controlling stake in Bezeq.
Last month Saban blasted calls to boycott Israel for the occupation of the West Bank. He called those who support boycotting the Toronto film festival's decision to showcase Tel Aviv "anti-Semites" and "Jew haters."
"The world always had anti-Semites," the Hollywood financier told the Los Angeles Times in an e-mail exchange last month. "It has now and always will, but the people of Israel always have, and always will live and prosper. Sorry Jew haters. You lose."
Among the artists who signed the petition calling for a boycott of the festival's Tel Aviv Week in August were Ken Loach, Julie Christie, Danny Glover, David Byrne and Jane Fonda - though Fonda later retracted her decision.
Meanwhile, a number of Hollywood Jews, including Jerry Seinfeld, Sacha Baron Cohen and Natalie Portman, issued a counter-statement in defense of the festival's decision.
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There are already extensive Israeli/Qatari ties in many fields so why not in the propaganda one ,good luck to the new Jewish owner of Al-Jazerra and goodbye to the blatant anti-Israeli journalists in the newsroom.
Haim, Stop dreaming. Qatar might have the desire to sell, but rest assured the masses, the people of the Middle East won't watch AlJazeera if sold to Israeli interests. American public opinion might have been formed by Jewish-media interests in America but believe me this can't be replicated here!! Come on Haaretz....publishing this article.
maybe then Al Jazeera can function as a true media, showing both sides instead of Jews/Israel=bad, Arabs/Muslims=good. Imagine, they can learn first hand about the Holocaust, History, and other controversial issues held by the arab world, and everybody will believe it as it's on Al Jazeera! It could open a new world to women in remote areas. Very positive, indeed! The imams won't stand for it though!
...critiquing Israel or boycotting Israeli goods because you don't like the treatment of Palestinians/Arab Israelis is "anti-Semitic" and makes one a "Jew-hater"?!? This is the kind of simplisted mentality that belittles antisemitism and Jew-hatred that goes on. Israeli Jews need to grow up.
Insane. A Jew can not own Al Jazeera especially Israeli Jew.
They deserve each other .
... and would pave the way to Al Manar to become the channel for the Arab world.
I hope and pray to God this is just a rumor and not based on fact. Haim Saban's stake in Al-Jazeera would be a LOUSY idea and I hope the emir is not stupid enough to allow it. Then again with some of these Arab leaders out there, one never knows. The integrity and reputation of this network would be jeopardized, greatly jeopardized.
Here's hoping it happens...the irony would be too much.. or could this be indicative of a slpw acceptance of Israel in the greater Arab world?
If Israeli businessman Haim Saban purchases 50 percent of the Al Jazeera and the conspiracy theory people realise that Rupert Murdoch is not a Jew but the grandson of a Christian pastor, this will cause pandemonium in conspiracy theory circles...